Have child and have not slowed down! This blog seeks to chronicle the joys and challenges of taking kids hiking, camping, backpacking, skiing, biking, paddling and all-out exploring in the Canadian Rockies.

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Friday, June 30, 2017

Gotta do THIS - July 2017 Edition

It's
summer and here's my July edition of Gotta do THIS - focusing on some
great adventures you can enjoy with your family over the next couple of
months. There is also a great giveaway from Revelstoke Mountain Resort so make sure you check it out below and
enter to win at the bottom of this post.

Gotta do THIS - July 2017 Edition

1. Spend a Day at Revelstoke Mountain Resort

(And enter to win pipe mountain coaster tickets for a family of four!)

Riding the Pipe Mountain Coaster in Revelstoke was my summer MUST try activity or tour last year, and it did not disappoint. We had so much fun atRevelstoke Mountain Resortwhile driving across British Columbia on vacation, I actually added our ride on the pipe mountain coaster to my list of "top ten experiences of 2016." And trust me, there was a lot of competition from other amazing places we had visited over the year.

One of the Best Adventures in the Rockies: The Pipe Mountain Coaster at Revelstoke Mountain Resort

We are very excited to ride the pipe mountain coaster again this year, and to also try hiking at Revelstoke Mountain Resort this time. We plan to visit at the end of July and I'm counting down the days until our visit.

And don't worry about younger kids because they can ride tandem with an adult. You also get to control your speed.

Ride the Sightseeing Gondola (New for 2017)

"Mile-high sightseeing, alpine views, and walking trails are available when you ride the upper Gondola to Mackenzie Outpost!"

Ride the sightseeing gondola, enjoy a buffet breakfast at Revelation Lodge (located at the Gondola mid-station,) and hike one of four scenic trails located on the mountain. You can even ride to the upper gondola station and then hike down to the mid-station without any height gain!

Families with young children will enjoy the 2.3 km Cupcake Loop from the upper gondola station (with a ride up and down the gondola)

Guided tours are also available at the resort.

Enjoy a 9 Hole Disc Golf Course (New for 2017)

Located above Revelation Lodge, this is the only gondola-accessed disc golf course that I know of in the Canadian Rockies.

2. Spend a Day at Sunshine Village Resort in Banff

Sunshine Meadows
is easily Banff's most beautiful family hike. I recommend it to every
tourist who contacts me for travel suggestions and I've enjoyed the hike
with my own son many times. Last year, the hike got even better though!

Fridays through Mondays, you can access Sunshine Meadows by gondola rather than taking the old yellow school bus from the Sunshine Village base area. (You will still take the bus if visiting Tuesdays through Thursdays.)

Rock Isle Lake, Sunshine Meadows, Banff

Rock Isle Lake is an easy 1.5 km hike (one
way) from the upper gondola station. Beyond this first lake, families
can enjoy a scenic loop around Larynx and Grizzly Lakes for a bigger
hike of approximately 8 km (return distance from the gondola.)

To
make the Sunshine Meadows hike even easier, ride the Standish chairlift
(open for this summer season) and enjoy an easy 1 km downhill
walk to Rock Isle Lake.

Alpine Hiking in Paradise! Sunshine Meadows, Banff

And NEW for 2017, the Sunshine Mountain Lodge is open for the first time ever during the summer season. Enjoy accommodations with a fabulous view, fine dining, and a giant outdoor hot tub! Then be the first family on the hiking trails the next day.

For more information on the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, summer gondola, hours, and pricing, please visit the Sunshine Village website.

Sunshine Meadows and Rock Isle Lake, Banff

3. Spend a Day at the Lake Louise Ski Resort in Banff

My son has been begging me to take him to Lake Louise to ride the summer gondola. I finally said yes this year so we'll be heading out for a day to do some sightseeing and hiking in July.

Reasons why the sightseeing gondola tour is great for families:

First, you can choose to either ride in a closed gondola or in an open chair. This is good news for families with small children who would be too scared to ride the chair lift

"The Best Grizzly Bear Viewing and Scenery in the Canadian Rockies!" - with near daily grizzly bear sightings from the gondola or chair lifts

Hiking trails for all fitness levels and ages of children along with guided hikes for those nervous about running into a bear on the trail

An educational experience for the whole family! "We offer interactive presentations for all ages, short themed Guided Walks and interactive displays to learn about our native wildlife and endangered species native wildlife"

Free parking and free shuttle service from the Village of Lake Louise

Ride and dine packages (Arrive early and enjoy breakfast with your sightseeing ride)

I'd give this peak another week or so but it should be in condition by the second week of July. (Mid-July at the latest.) If you want views though, and an easy summit that requires no hands-on moments, this is one of my favourite peaks to climb as a family.

Mount Fairview is accessed via the Saddleback Pass hiking trail where you'll gain your first 600 metres of height gain on an excellent trail that is never very steep. Here you can stop, rest, and contemplate energy levels for the summit, another 400 metres above you. Total distance is 10.6 km round trip so needless to say, you're going to want to save this outing for children who have a fair bit of hiking experience under their belts.

When we did the hike last summer, my 7-year old was having a powerhouse energy day so we climbed both Fairview and Saddle Mountain (on the other side of Saddleback Pass) at the same time.

Attend an Outdoor Evening Theatre Performance! Many provincial park campgrounds in Alberta have evening amphitheater programs and they are free for anybody who wants to come out and attend. The ones in Kananaskis are supposed to be amazing and are close enough for a day trip from Calgary.

Attend a Parks Day Event on July 15th! - Provincial Parks across Alberta will be hosting fun family-friendly free events on the 15th and this includes Fish Creek Provincial Park right here in Calgary.

Giveaway: Enter to Win Tickets for a Family of Four for the Revelstoke Mountain Resort Pipe Mountain Coaster

This giveaway is open to all adults 18+ years of age who will be able to visit Revelstoke Mountain Resort this summer. The tickets are valid through the 2017 summer season until October 1st. The winner will receive two adult tickets and two child tickets, good for one ride per person on the pipe mountain coaster.

A winner will be chosen the morning of July 7th and contacted by email. If I do not hear from the winner by the 10th, I will contact a new winner.

We did the pipe coaster last summer.... loved it!Be sure to give yourself enough time as it's quite popular. We got our tickets and our time slot then went for ice cream in town the first time and drove up to the meadows in the sky the second time (yes, we did it both times we drove through Revelstoke we liked it so much).